Combined water spray and chemical dispenser



COMBINED WATER SPRAY AND CHEMICAL DISPENSER Original Filed June 24, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l ET- 121 H- a E. H. WENZEL- 5 5 COMBINED WATER SPRAY AND CHEMICAL DISPENSER .Original Filed June 24, 1948 2 SHEETS-SI-IEET 2 ,Edmnff. Wsnzel Patented Jan. 1, 1952 OMBINEQ wa m sr A arm, A DlSP RB,

Edwin H. Wenzel, Milwaukee,

Continuation of application Serial No.

ser a s-saw This invention relates to Water spray devices of the'type'used"fofspraying watenupon lawns and gardens and the like, an has; for main object the provisionof a water s'pray devicecapa me of spraying chemical fertilizing a d/or weed killing solutions 'upori'iawn's andga dens; am-

the' instant application is a co itinua'tion of the depending, abandoned application," Serial No, 34,914, filed 31111624; 1948.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a combined water spray and-chemicaldi'spenser wherein chemical solution is drawn from a container attached" to'the device, by eductor' actionand caused to admix with water discharging from'the' spray device for dispersalof such chemi-cals in diminishing concentration uponalawn orgardenl Another object of this invention is to provide a simple expedient for quickly and easily connecting a cancontain'ing the chemical to bedispehsed to the body ofthe spraydevice; which means has a part thereof arrangedto provide anozzle for directing a stream' otwater fromthe spray device down into the can toimpinge thecontents thereof and agitate the same.

further object ofthis invention resides in the provision of a novel container for the'chemical material to be dispensed, the top wall of which is'provided with means facilitating the connection of-the container to the body of the spray device.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the"descriptionproceeds, this invention resides in'the novel construction, combination and arrangement ofparts substan tially as'hereinafte'r describedand more particularly defined by the 'appended claims; it being understood thatsuch changes in the precise em bodiment of, the hereindisclosed invention may be made 'as'come within the'scope of theclaims.

The accompanying. drawing illustrate several complete examples of the physical embodiment ofthe invention constructedaccording to the-best modes so far devisedfor the practical application of the principles thereof,and in which:

Figure 1 is a side viewofthe combined water spray andchemical dispenseriof this invention, part of thedevicebeingshown'in elevation and part insection;

FigureZ is afragmentarylperspective view illus trating, one, formv oil chemical container which may. be .readily attached-tattle,bodyiof the spray,

device in position tolhavethe contents ofJ-the containereducted therefrom;

Figure 3 is a perspectiveyiew showing the container of Figure 2 about to belattachedtothe, underside of the spraydevice;

Figure 4 is a view looking at the underside of thabody of the spray devicerand, illustrating another embodiment of theinvention; and,

Figure ,5 is across sectional view, taken along 6 se Peasants use, 755 pffigl re 6 Claims. (01. 299-439 Refe r I19? m ena l ul rly 9. he. acspmw dispensing i this' n en a t ompr ses:

an u righ bdyv h v ng a' nrey eadt ountedr thereon,"and the body is supported" at an eleva tion above the r u d, b a lu al y of ac apart legs 8.

The spray head I is of the rotatable type adapted to be driven bythe, force of water discharging therefrom, and for this purpose has a. downwardly projecting sleeve 9 receivedin an upright nipple lllprojecting upwardly from the top of the body to mount the spray head for rotation on a vertical axis.

The specificdetailsof construction of the body, and particularly the spray head form no part of this invention, and-it is important only to note that the dispenser body has a side inlet passage H therein communicating with an upright outlet: passage 12 the upper end of which leads into the discharge passage l3iof thespray head. A suit able nipple carrying a c oupling Mat its outer endprovides for to a source of water underpressure.

For the purposes of this invention, the body 5 of the spray deviceis provided with a well I5 openingto its underside, coaxially of the outlet passage l2-ofthe body. The has internal screw threads IS thereon which are cooperable with the threads l'lon theneck of a glass receptacle I8 similar to a Mason jar to enable the ja r to bereadily attached to the underside of the body as shown bestin Figurel, Theopen end of thejar lBis adapted to seat against the bottom of; thewell l5, and to guard against leakage a gasketG is preferably interposed between the rim opthe threaded necl; and

the bottom of the well.

The jar. H3 is adapted to contain a quantity of chemical is which maybe any one of a number of well-known commercial fertilizing agents. The fertilizer may be either in concentrated liquid form or in the form of Water soluble granules as shown in Figure l.

In either event the contents of the jar I8 is water flows upwardly through the passage 'IZ-and into the dispersing head, the'eductive force of the water flowing through attachment of the spray device side wall of thewell,

the outlet passage :lfandacting-on the eductor tube 20 is utilized'to draw fih -s e ee ts mi=tbe: e I nfla es Passa e:

3 for admixture with the water about to enter the dispersing head.

In order to facilitate eduction of the contents of the jar, water is supplied to the interior of the jar through a restricted passage 22 communicating with the water inlet passage I I and opening into the well i5 at the underside of the body at an area encircled by the threaded neck of the Hence, when the spray device is connected with a source of water under pressure, some of the water will flow into the jar Hi to stir up and dissolve the granular fertilizing material therein; and the resulting solution will be drawn up into the outlet passage 12 through the tube by the eduotive force of the water flowing through the body. The solution thus educted into the outlet passage 12 is, of course, further mixed with the water flowing into the dispersing head and discharged by the head onto the lawn or garden to be fertilized.

It will be apparent from the description thus far, that in the operation of the device the fertilizing solution formed within the jar I8 will be educted in diminishing concentration from the jar and sprayed upon the lawn or garden to be fertilized. After the contents of the jar has been emptied, however, spraying with clear water is preferably continued to wash the fertilizer off the grass or the leaves of garden plants, and to soak the same into the ground to thus avoid burning of the lawn and/or garden plants.

While the screw threads [6 formed on the side wall of the well [5 readily provide for the attachment of containers having an opening leadin through a threaded neck on the container, provision is also made for the attachment of a metal container to the body of the device while at the same time affording the necessary communicaoation between the eductor tube 20 and the interior of the metal container as well as for introducing water into the interior of the container for dissolving the granular fertilizer material therein.

One such metal container is partially illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and it may either be made of relatively stiff carboard or entirely of metal, but in either event the container is provided with a metallic top wall 25 having a diameter such as to fit the well IE on the underside of the body of the spray device. The top wall 25 of the container has scoring 27 at its center arranged in a circle and which is adapted to provide a central hole 2'! to receive the eductor tube 20 when the portion of the top wall encircled by the scoring 2! is punched inwardly.

The top wall 25 also has two other scored areas 28 at opposite sides of the central scoring 21, and the scoring 28 is adapted to be punched in to provide a pair of keyhole shaped slots 23' concentric to the central aperture 21' of the container.

' The large end 29 of each of the slots 28, as seen best in Figure 3, is of a size to readily receive the heads of button-like projections 3| in the bottom of the counterbore. The projections 3i are diametrically opposite one another and are spaced from the central eductor tube 20 a distance corresponding to the spacing of the slots 28' from the central aperture 27 of the container, so that when the upper end of the container is inserted into the well 15 with the eductor tube 28 projecting through the central aperture 27 of the container, each of theheads of the button-like projections 3i will pass; through: one ofthe enz-I;

larged ends 29 of the slots 28 in the top wall of i 4 the container. With the container properly seated in the well [5 in this manner, it is only necessary to rotate the container slightly to engage the heads of the button-like projections 3| under the narrow ends of the slots 28 remote from the enlargements 29 thereof. This establishes a secure leakproof connection between the container and the underside of the dispenser since in engaging the heads of the projections under the edges of the slots the top of the container is clamped firmly against the gasket G.

It is important to note that the button-like projections 3| are undercut so as to prevent longitudinal motion of the container out of the well 15, and that the projections are formed on the outer ends of studs 33 threaded into apertures leading into the body of the spray device from the bottom of the well l5. Also each of the studs has a small diameter longitudinal hole 34 leading entirely therethrough, one of which communicates with the passage 22 leading into the inlet passage ll of the spray device so that the water introduced into the container flows through the passage 22 and the hole 34.

The operation of the combined water spray and fertilizing dispenser is the same, of course, whether the container is of metal as described, or is a glass jar as in the previous embodiment. The metal container has the advantage, however, of enabling hermetic scaling to assure against deterioration of its contents.

A further feature of this invention resides in the provision of knife edges 35 on the lower or inlet end of the eductor tube 28 and similar knife edges 36 upon the undersides of the heads 3| of slightly modified projections located in the bottom of the well [5, as seen in Figures 4 and 5. The knife edges 35 and 36 enable perforation of the unscored top wall of any suitable type of can in which'the fertilizer is packaged merely by pressing the upper end of the can into the well I5. The perforation of the unscored top wall of a can in this manner also establishes communication between the eductor tube and water passage 22 with the interior of the can.

In this case also, a bayonet-joint connection is estblished between the heads 3| of the projections and the top wall 38 of the container perforated by the knife edges on the projections merely by rotation of the container a slight distance relative to the body of the spray device.

This joint is illustrated in Figure 5, where it will be seen that rotation of the container relative to the body of the spray device carries an uncut portion 39 of the top wall of the container under the head 3 l of the projection to releasably lock the container in an operative position on the body of the device.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention greatly simplifies the application of fertilizer to lawns and gardens by reason of the fact that dispensing of the fertilizer is effected in consequence to the spraying of water upon the lawn or garden to be fertilized, thus preventing the damaging effects brought about by the contact of concentrated fertilizing material with delicate garden plants.

It will also be appreciated that while the spray device of this invention is specially well suited for the dispensing of fertilizing agents upon lawns or gardens, the device may also be used for the dispensing and dispersal-of fire extinguishing chemicals, some of which are presently available in water soluble powdered form and require the admixture with water before they are effectively useful.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A combined water spray and chemical dispenser comprising: a body having an inlet passage and a substantially upright outlet passage communicating with said inlet passage; a dispersing head mounted on said body and having a water discharge passage communicating with the outlet passage of the body; legs connected with the body for supporting the same at an elevation above the ground; means on the body at the underside thereof providing for attachment of a receptacle to the body, between the legs, with the mouth of said receptacle seated against a fiat surface on the underside of the body and closed thereby; means on the body defining a restricted passage opening to the underside of the body and communicating with one of said body passages to enable introduction of water into a receptacle connected to the body; an upright duct carried by the body with its lower end projecting downwardly from the underside of the body to be immersed in solution within the receptacle, and with the upper end of the duct so communicated with the outlet passage of the body that the eductive force of water flowing through said outlet passage to the dispersing head is utilized to draw solution from the receptacle through the duct and into the outlet passage of the body for admixture with the water flowing from the body into the dispersing head; and a pair of button-like elements connected with the underside of the body by reduced neck portions and engageable in keyhole shaped slots in the top of a metal container to hold such container connected with the body.

2. The combined water spray and chemical dispenser set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said button-like elements has a restricted passage leading therethrough to communicate the water inlet passage of the body with the interior of a metal can connected with the underside of the body, for introducing water into the can for admixture with chemicals therein.

3. A combined water spray and chemical dispenser comprising: a body having a water inlet passage and an upwardly extending outlet passage communicating with said inlet passage; a plurality of legs connected with the body and extending downwardly therefrom to support the body at an elevation above the ground, said body having a well in its underside coaxial with the outlet passage of the body; a pair of button-like projections fixed to the body in the bottom of said well and adapted to be received in slots in the top wall of a metal can inserted into the well, one of said button-like projections having a restricted passage leading therethrough and communicating with one of the body passages so as to provide for the introduction of water into a can connected with the body; and means defining an upright duct in the body coaxially of said outlet passage thereof with the lower end of the duct opening to the underside of the body to communicate with liquid in a can connected thereto, and with the upper end of the duct opening into said outlet passage in a manner such that the eductive force of water flowing upwardly through said outlet passage may be utilized to draw liquid up through the duct from the can and into said outlet passage for admixture with water issuing from the body.

4. The combined water spray and chemical dispenser set forth in claim 3 wherein the lower. end of said duct projects below the underside, of the body on said button-like projections and the lower end of said duct has knife edges formed thereon adapted to puncture the top wall of a metal can pressed up into said well in the body to enable attachment of an imperforate can to the body.

5. In combination: means connectible with a source of water under pressure, said means comprising a body having a duct therein; an eductor tube having its inlet end projecting from said body and its outlet end debouching into said duct; button-like projections on the body adjacent to the projecting end of said eductor tube; and a sealed container having a top wall scored to form keyhole shaped slots cooperable with said button-like projections to provide a detachable bayonet joint connection between the container and the body when the portions of said top wall encircled by said scorings are pushed in, and to form an aperture through which the inlet end of the eductor tube may enter the container.

6. A lawn treating device, comprising: a hollow body having an inlet connectible with a source of water under pressure and an outlet for treated Water; means in the interior of the body defining an eductor passage having a mouth opening through the bottom of the body; undercut fastening elements projecting from the bottom of the body to enter holes formed in the top of a can containing the treating material and eooperable with the edges of said holes to provide a detachable bayonet joint connection between the body and the can, said fastening elements being spaced from one another and from the mouth of the eductor passage; sealing means on the bottom of the body encircling said fastening means and the mouth of the eductor passage, said sealing means being engageable with the top of a can connected with the body by said fastening elements and cooper-able therewith to establish a watertight joint between the can and the body; and means defining an orifice communicating with the interior of the body near the inlet thereof and passing downwardly through one of the undercut fastening elements, said fastening element providing a nozzle for forcefully directing a fine stream of water from the body into a can connected to the body, to impinge the contents of the can and violently agitate the resulting solution whereby the solution can be drawn into said eductor passage through a hole in the top of the can.

EDWIN H. W'ENZEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 560,922 Pearson May 26, 1896 1,082,141 Sites Dec. 23, 1913 1,740,373 Shaukis Dec. 17, 1929 1,847,406 McArdle Mar. 1, 1932 2,034,660 Lohse Mar. 17, 1936 2,063,131 Siems Dec. 8, 1936 2,131,796 Day Oct. 4, 1938 2,176,898 Fried Oct. 24, 1939 2,304,846 Pinkerton Dec. 15, 1942 2,335,281 Jepson Nov. 30, 1943 2,361,705 Patterson Oct. 31, 1944 2,367,300 McManus Jan. 16, 1945 

